I Cultivate in a Government Office

Yang Wenqing replied without hesitation, ”Du Hong, I order you to hold your position. Use the mining area’s existing fortifications and Arrays to protect the site and the workers at all costs! Reinforcements are on their way!”

He ended the call and looked at Gao Zhen, who had just finished an urgent communication of his own. Gao Zhen’s expression was just as grim as he met Yang Wenqing’s gaze.

”Wenqing!” Gao Zhen ordered directly. ”You take the Major Case Team to the explosion site and stabilize the situation. Leave the mining area to me and Chief Zhu!”

”Chief Gao, let me go to the mining area instead,” Yang Wenqing replied. ’Gao Zhen just came out of seclusion, and he’s at a critical point in his cultivation. The mining area is on the front lines against the Water Race Demon Soldiers. Even though attacks aren’t exactly new for them, it’s still risky.’

”Just follow your orders.”

Gao Zhen cut him off sharply. ”Stabilize the situation in the city, then rendezvous with us. Besides, the Government Soldiers have already set up artillery encampments, and we have combat Flying Ships from headquarters for support. As long as the enemy doesn’t send in Entry-level Cultivators, they can’t breach the city. And if they *do* send Entry-level Cultivators, well, that just makes things easier.”

With that, he turned to Zhu Yunchuan, giving Yang Wenqing no chance to argue. ”Old Chu, gather all mobile units and move out immediately. Contact the Government Military Command Center and request artillery and air support. Move fast!”

”Sir!” Zhu Yunchuan affirmed. The two of them headed out with brisk efficiency, contacting the relevant parties via their badges as they went.

Yang Wenqing watched their hurried departure, took a deep breath, and suppressed the worry in his heart. ’Gao Zhen is right. With threats both inside and out, we have to divide our labor clearly.’

He quickly activated his badge, opening a channel to Liu Xin of the Major Case Team. ”Team Liu, grab some of your best officers and split them into two teams. You personally lead one team to the explosion site in the city district. I want you to track down the attackers’ identities and their network. The other team needs to get to the district police station and secure the scene. I’m on my way there now!”

…

When Yang Wenqing arrived at the rear landing pad, Yang Zhong already had his private Flying Shuttle powered up. He stepped aboard, and the shuttle lifted lightly into the air.

”The district police station!”

Just then, he saw the Government Soldiers’ artillery encampment on the high ground at the city’s edge flare with dazzling beams of light. The heavy-duty runic cannons were charging.

A moment later, a deep, earth-shaking roar echoed as massive pillars of energy tore through the gloomy sky, blasting toward the sea in the distance.

At almost the same moment, the badge on his chest vibrated. A city-wide, encrypted broadcast from Central Command blared across the communication channels of all personnel at the rank of commissioner and above:

”Emergency broadcast: Unidentified Water Race Demon Soldiers have been detected attacking all coastal areas of the city. Threat Level: Beta. All city defense units are hereby authorized to exercise unlimited firing authority within their jurisdictions based on on-site judgment and without need for further clearance. Defend your jurisdictions and the lives and property of the citizenry at all costs. I repeat, unlimited firing authority is authorized...”

The broadcast was brief. It gave no specifics on the attackers’ identity, numbers, or intentions, but the ”unlimited firing authority” order was enough to convey the gravity of the situation.

The Flying Shuttle raced onward, heading for the smoke-billowing district police station. Yang Wenqing sat in the cabin, his expression as calm as still water. ’I need to push aside all unnecessary thoughts,’ he told himself, forcing himself to regain the same cool-headed rationality he’d possessed when he was first promoted.

A short while later, the Flying Shuttle came to a stop above the district police station. The once-stately building below was now shrouded in thick smoke. A row of single-story buildings on its flank had completely collapsed into a heap of charred rubble and twisted metal fencing. The air was thick with the smell of explosives and a faint, sickly-sweet scent.

Police lights flashed in and around the station as uniformed officers bustled about. The agents sent by the Major Case Team had already secured the scene, taping off a perimeter and dispersing the crowd of onlookers.

Yang Wenqing pushed open the Flying Shuttle’s cabin door and jumped straight down. The station chief, Chen Gang—a stocky, dark-skinned, middle-aged man—immediately jogged over to meet him, his face a mixture of shock and lingering fear.

”Chief Yang!” Chen Gang saluted, his voice a little hoarse.

”Casualties and damages?” Yang Wenqing asked, his words clipped as his gaze swept over the wreckage.

”Reporting, Chief Yang. The explosion occurred in cells three, four, and five of the temporary holding area,” Chen Gang reported quickly.

”We were holding twelve individuals arrested during Operation Cornerstone—suspects, illegal immigrants, and undocumented persons. They’re all dead, with not even bones remaining. The blast also hit two adjacent empty cells and part of the outer wall. Three of our on-duty officers sustained minor injuries, none of them life-threatening.”

Hearing this, Yang Wenqing felt a cold pang of fear. ’It’s a good thing Chief Gao ordered that operation. We arrested and jailed them ahead of time. If those people had been spread out across the city when they exploded, the losses would have been incalculable.’

”Didn’t you scan their auras when you arrested them?”

”We did. We found no issues.”

”So they’ve improved their methods.”

”It would seem so.”

”What’s the status of the identity verification and background checks?” Yang Wenqing asked.

”Most are still in the preliminary verification stage. We didn’t have time for in-depth screening or cross-referencing...” Chen Gang’s voice trailed off, the look of frustration on his face intensifying.

”This isn’t the time for debriefing,” Yang Wenqing cut him off. ”I need you to do several things. First, put this entire district on Level-Two lockdown immediately. All non-essential personnel are to remain indoors, non-essential businesses are to close, and you are to set up checkpoints at all major intersections. Second...”